Carlos Finally Has His Own Restaurant: VICE Shanghai Opens in Xuhui
Chef Carlos Sotomayor has spent years making a name for himself in Shanghai's dining scene, always as the headline act in someone else's restaurant. That changes with VICE Shanghai at No. 128 Yongjia Road — his first real stage to call his own.
A bowl of beef noodles that doesn't even appear on the menu might be the most honest dish in this new restaurant-lounge. Egg noodles topped with beef cooked "saltado"-style in house-made chili oil, salty and rich, priced at 88 RMB and reserved exclusively for those perched at the bar — this isn't the chef being coy, it's him knowing full well that people drinking still need a proper meal.
That chef is Carlos Sotomayor, formerly of High Yaki, who's spent nearly a decade in Shanghai building a body of work that regulars can spot instantly as "a Carlos dish." Now he finally has his own stage: VICE Shanghai, a newly opened restaurant and lounge at No. 128 Yongjia Road in Xuhui, just a few doors down from the former O'Mills location, housed in another restored lane house. The team behind it is no rookie outfit — Raffe "Wolf" Ibrahamian of Cantina Agave is leading the project, Carlos runs the kitchen, and the bar is in the hands of Nick, formerly of J. Boroski.
Dim and Cozy Downstairs, Open and Airy Upstairs — Two Different Moods
The ground floor is set up like a bistro facing an open kitchen, with dim lighting and tables pushed close enough that you can practically see what your neighbors ordered — a vibe built for settling in at night. Upstairs is a completely different animal: a lofty lounge and bar area, a wraparound balcony overlooking the street, and even a private room, all noticeably more upscale. For now, the upstairs runs its own bar snacks menu while also absorbing overflow from downstairs when it's fully booked. The outdoor courtyard won't open for al fresco brunch and lunch seating until July or August.
Carlos's Signatures, Plus a Few Surprising New Dishes
Carlos's cooking draws on his Peruvian roots layered with years of experience across China and Asia — the menu looks wide-ranging on paper, but you can taste a consistent logic running through it. One signature is the Mosaic (78 RMB): chunky diced salmon steeped in a scallop-infused leche de tigre, laid over a creamy avocado purée and finished with serrano chili for a kick — cold, refreshing, with acidity dialed in just right. The Tuna (98 RMB) follows the same playbook, seared tataki-style and half-raw, paired with a grapefruit-yuzu vinaigrette — simple and clean.
Don't skip the Daikon Fondant (58 RMB) — thick-cut daikon radish bathed in a rich mornay sauce made with Gruyère and Parmesan folded into béchamel, which is really just an excuse to eat cheese sauce. The radish's natural sweetness anchors the dish, while charred maitake mushrooms and fresh basil bring in earthiness and brightness. The golden-roasted Cauliflower (65 RMB) leans on a heavy Caesar dressing and smoky Hunan cured pork to carry the dish, proving that a blank-canvas vegetable like cauliflower can hold its own as long as the toppings pull their weight.
My favorite among the mains is the Braised Lamb Shoulder (288 RMB) — lamb braised until falling-apart tender, coated in a thick reduction, sitting atop crisp wild chives, pea purée, lettuce, and a layer of wilted herbs that reset your palate every few bites. The accompanying sourdough (58 RMB), made specially by Cute Cube, comes slathered in whipped butter mixed with soy sauce, white pepper, fried garlic, and chives — save a piece for mopping up the lamb jus, you'll regret it if you don't.
My second favorite is the Chicken & Abalone Claypot (278 RMB), still bubbling when it hits the table. A base "cake" of sticky rice, morel mushrooms, and Jinhua ham supports roasted chicken, all soaked in a sauce reduced from abalone, chicken, and morels — crisp on the outside, glutinous within, like a supersized adult version of Cantonese sticky rice chicken, and a dish that genuinely bridges Western technique with Chinese flavor sensibilities. On a hot day, the Tilefish (138 RMB), pan-seared until crisp-skinned and finished with hot oil, pairs with a Peruvian sudado — a sour seafood broth that cuts through richness and feels right for the season.
The Pepper Steak comes as either sirloin (268 RMB / 200g) or filet (428 RMB / 300g), served with fries — but the real star is the sauce, blended from five different peppercorns with distinct layers of aroma that elevate what would otherwise be a simple steak. Craving something more comforting? Go for the Cacio e Pepe Gratin (128 RMB), tube-shaped calamarata pasta tossed with browned butter, freshly cracked black pepper, and a generous amount of pecorino, then baked — perfect for sharing.
For dessert, the flourless chocolate cake (68 RMB) is the one to order — plain-looking on the outside but dense and rich underneath, folded with sweet miso cream and topped with crushed black sesame and ginger for a crunchy, toasty finish, making it the standout of the dessert menu. The other two options are a Vietnamese coffee tiramisu-style tres leches (58 RMB, with white chocolate ganache) and a passion fruit crème caramel (58 RMB, with macerated strawberries and macadamia crumble).
If you're just there to drink and nibble, the kitchen has you covered: kung pao chicken nuggets (58 RMB) coated in an addictively salty-spicy sauce; duck confit spring rolls (65 RMB) with Comté cheese, fig jam, and house-made soy sauce; and a more adventurous savory macaron (98 RMB for three), with sweet shells filled with salmon roe, avocado, and nori paste — not for everyone, but worth a try if you want to mess with your taste buds.
The drinks menu centers on martinis, five options starting at 78 RMB, ranging from the classic Dirty Martini to a citrus-marmalade-scented Breakfast Martini. Signature cocktails run 98 RMB, classic cocktails start at 78 RMB, and signature wines by the glass start at 68 RMB with bottles from 378 RMB — pricing that stays fairly restrained. VICE Shanghai doesn't need to coast on buzz — the food speaks for itself, whether you're settling in for a proper sit-down meal or grabbing a drink at the bar with a bowl of beef noodles on the side.
